HaMakom: The Place...and a Name for God

When two artists collaborate with a singular vision but two different explanations, the result is just that! In Genesis it says: יהי רקיע בתוך המים, “let there be a horizon in the midst of the waters.” There was HaShem’s first creative act, creating a separation between the upper and lower waters…..and…..in Torah, Ha-makom is “the place” where Jacob rests for the night and dreams of a ladder. He encounters HaShem through angels and receives the Brit (our covenant.) Ha-Makom is also a metaphorical name for Hashem. In our study of the mikvah we came to understand that it is not only a geographical place and space. It isn’t just about completing a ritual. Rather it is the location for a spiritual and holy experience; a place to cleanse, heal, and re-emerge. Our ladder of letters and flowing silk is a reminder of our Brit, our covenant with HaShem. בָּרוּךְ הַמָּקוֹם, בָּרוּךְ הוּא. Blessed is Ha-Makom , Blessed is Hashem. These waters co-mingle flowing through HaShem’s Creation and gift us middot/intentions which are represented but the godly characteristics we should pursue. We ask visitors to take a word and think about how one might embody this trait. I cut the letters and fused them extra hot so the edges would become wavy. Diane painted silk in varigated blues. The glass letters were mounted on a sheet of plexiglass we had custom cut and bent in order to accomodate a small glass dish embedded with copper. The steam spills into and beyond this dish because God cannot be contained but is everflowing and manifesting beyone what we can humanly perceive. Glass nuggets are there for the taking. Each contains a middah (intention.)

Thank you Diane Fredgant! You are an amazing artist and a dear friend. Working with you taught me a great deal and I am most grateful!

A New Collaboration in the works!

This is still in process but all the parts have been created and we are in the process of assembling it. What is it? ...for now, a humble work in progress. I am collaborating with silk artist Diane Fredgant. The installation will be Wednesday morning when a new exhibit will open at the MJCC. In celebration of Shavuot, we gathered with a number of artists to study Torah text and learn about our community mikvah, Rachel's Well. We met once more in early summer to study with Rabbi Eve Posen. Drawing inspiration from these exceptional teachers and the mikvah itself, the artists have spent the [ast several months creating art. Some of this art will be selceted to be displayed at the mikvah, but meanwhile, the exhibition seeks to inform folks about the mikvah, one of our community's treasures. One of the great challenges to all our artists is crafting art work in our respective media that will not be damaged by being in a moist environment. I'll post the finished product after it is mounted at the show....stay tuned!

Two New Commissions Completed!

I've been busy! While I was away on my wonderful trip I received an email asking if i could accept a commission. The due date was something I could accommodate so I agreed. It was a fun project and hopefully the gift was appreciated! It has copper wire hooks. The clear background allows the wall color to come through. It could also be hung in a window!

The second commission was challenging because of the very short turn-around time. That said, it was such a pleasure to make it for a very special person I have known for a very long time. It is designed for a window display, allowing light to come through the spaces around the tiny dichroic beads in the center of the pomegranate. There are four hebrew words that surround the bead (seeds). They translate to Love, Honor, Respect, ALL OF US!

Subotica Synagogue, part 2

This is a side window in the balcony...quite lovely don't you think? I got a close up view. The craftsmanship is flawless. Below is a window at the back of the balcony. This is an exceptional piece of work!

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you! These side seats in the balcony are stairstepped. There are no bad views up here!!! Each seat has a lockbox where you can keep your prayerbook, tallit, etc.

Subotica Synagogue Interior part 1

Subotica Serbia Synagogue Glass and more!

This is a remarkable synagogue. It was given to the City of Subotica (pronounce Soo-boh-tih-tza) a few years ago because the maintenance expense was just too great for the 200 Jews who live in the area. This town was once part of Yugoslavia. The restoration of the building cost the government over 2 million Euros. It serves now as a museum and concert space most of the year, but is used for high holiday services. It is the second largest synagogue in Europe. It was designed by a Hungarian architect JAKAB, DEZSÖ who wanted to build a Temple Palace. It is an extraordinaty piece of architecture that feels less palatial and more of an inviting space for prayer. It is quite showy and extravagant. It's something I think the Jews of the area wanted as a show piece...kind of a "we're Jews, we're here, we can create beautiful things....deal with it." There were seats for 950 men and 530 seats for women. Touring the building now, it isn't clear which area was which...there is no obvious mechitzah. Stay tuned for interior shots...probably tomorrow!

Fancy Door!

I love creative/artistic doorways. This is the entrance to an apartment building in central Subotica, Serbia. Ok, there is no colorful glass, but there is glass and it fits in beautifully with this design!

Sarajevo City Hall Glass

City Hall in Sarajevo is a remarkable building. It was built in the 1890's. In 1992 this Moorish inspired building came under artillery fire and and building sustained severe damage. The library contained within the building was completely destroyed. Initial repairs funded by Austria began in 1996 and later in 1999 THhe European Commission paid for some additional structural support. As is typical in cases of emergency repairs, these repairs were done in a hurry without sufficient planning. The building was closed and effectively sealed, creating a very dry enviroment that ultimately caused even more damage to the facade and the roof! Long story shortened...City government became dedicated to the restoration of the building.The World Monuments Watch became involved. More funding came from several European countries and the building reopened in 2014. This is my second visit to this astonishing building and my second time in this amazing city. I hope to return. The stained glass dome hovers over the circular lobby at the entrance to the building. THe basement contains a museum documenting the violence that was brought to this beautiful city. Sarajevo is alive and proudly proclaims it's recovery efforts after the many tragic events that occured there.

Not Glass, but impressive Art

This is also in the same area as the glass I posted yesterday. This is a Tree of Life sculpture in the "back yard" of the Douhany Street Synagogue in Budapest. Each metal leaf is inscribed with the nae of someone who perished during the Holocaust. May their memories be for a blessing ...Z"L

Behind the Douhany Synagogue in Budapest

I've Been Traveling!

Well, it's been awhile since I have posted! Blogger isn't letting me upload my photos...so I need to take a breath and figure out how to resolve this. I've been to Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Serbia, and Italy. Now that I am back I want to share the glass windows I saw along the way... so stay tuned!

Other Time/Money Sucks

 

My graphic fails to register the insane # of hours it takes, let alone money to prep for an art show!

Prepping for a show takes a lot of work. If you are one of the organizers, it requires weeks if not months of meetings, phone calls, emails...and even more !

If you are just a participant you not only need to create the art you hope to sell, you also need to price it, create professional looking tags, wrap, and price each piece. Depending on your work you may also need to invest in special bags, paper, and/or bubble wrap.

Set up is often the day of the show and you must adjust for the space you are assigned. You'll need a booth in some instances, table cloths, display units, and potentially, a sign.

Advertising may be done buy the sponsoring group but you also need to reach out to your mailing list!

When pricing, you need to take into consideration the cost for being in the show as well as a 2.6% credit card fee + 10 cents per transaction. Some credit card fees are higher!...and then there's the time it takes to close out a show, packing up what's left as well as your displays, etc. In my case, each piece of glass has to be wrapped carefully so they don't break on their return home.

These are the hidden elements most customers don't realize. If you add up the time artists spend on work just to market and sell their items we probably make about 3 cents an hour, if we're lucky!

But we do it..because making art gives us joy...and eventually we figure out a few short cuts that might bring us up to a nickel an hour!

More Judaica!

The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education will be hosting ORA Northwest Jewish Artists on April 7th from 11a-4p. It's a free admission day at the museum and will also feature an amazing exhibit called The Burned Piano.

I'll be selling a good bit of Judaica as well as my masked featured in earlier posts. This is one of my simple Hanukkiot...

Most folks call these menorahs, but menorahs hold seven candles. A Hanuikkiah holds 8 candles plus the Shamash (a lead candle.) 

Come see me...I'll be there all day!

Oh Lucy, I'm Home!

 

I Love Lucy! Yes, that was the name of her television show....but I love Lucy! 

Lucille Ball was not a compliant woman, at a time when women were expected to be agreeable and do what their husbands told them to do. 

My tribute to Lucy includes a chocolate heart necklace and earring (resin shaped to look like chocolate. That's a nod to a fabulously comedic episode where Lucy and Ethel work on an assembly line in a chocolate;late factory. Her other earring is a bottle of Vitameatavegamin which she was sampling repeatedly as she was being filmed for a tv commercial. Apparently this miracle supplement had a high alcohol content, so with each spoonful, she became increasingly drunk. Hysterical!!!!

Lucille was an elegant woman who wasn't afraid to  "act out'. Her over shirt is made from my mother's old lace table cloth. My mom and I used to watch reruns of this show in the 60's.... Mom would approve!

The pink heart was needle felted and bears her initials LB in rhinestones.

What can I say? I love Lucy!!!!! Come see her for yourself at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education on April 7th from 11a-4p! FREE ADMISSION to the museum and our show!

A Tribute to Harpo!

 

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I only make masks of individuals I wouldn't mind inhabiting space on my walls. Harpo is one of those characters who remind me how important it is to be silly and laugh!

As a child, I delighted in watching Marx Brothers movies on tv. I still do!

Harpo was the most musically talented of all the brothers...and could make people laugh without uttering a word!

His hat is made of felt with green sparkles that match his eyes. His time is made of needle felted wool and the harp is a sticker I found.  His hair? Dolls hair from a local craft store....and yes, it's a real bike horn!

He'll be available for purchase at the ORA Artist A-Z sale at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education on April 7th.... Thanks 11a-7p ! Come see me...more importantly, come see him. I think he's kinda cute!

 

MASK TIME!!!! Caricatures in Fused Glass

 

I have such fun making fused glass caricature  "masks". I'm prepping for a 1-day art show @ the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education on April 7th (11a-4p). The museum is generously sponsoring ORA Northwest Jewish Artists in our ORA Artists A-Z show. 

I'm in the process of finishing my third mask that I'll be selling that day. Albert is the first mask I want to share with you all.

I am always optimistic that they will sell, but my rule of thumb is to only create masks of folks I am happy to live with on my own walls.

Albert was made awhile back ...but I wasn't ready to part with him. Although I am still quite attached, I am ready to say goodbye if someone wants him...and I am also happy to keep him.

More frames

 

I forgot to take photos of the frames before the addition of the photos....OOOOPS! I don't have permission to show faces so....the faces have been "masked" to protect privacy.  This one says Mishp'cha or mishpocheh (in Yiddish) which means Family.

And this reads: "I am my beloved's...and my beloved is mine" from the Song of  Songs

It's a frame up!

 

Framing up!

A lovely young couple received one of my gift certificates from friends  Their friends imagined a menorah or a seder plate, but the couple wanted special frames built for three of their wedding photos.

The photo above shows Hebrew lettering pasted onto copper foil. The lettering spells a beautiful saying from Song of Songs: "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." Frame #2 will say Mishp'cha which means "family", and the third reads "Ahavah" which means "love" posted below. Once I cut these letters out, I soak them in soapy water and dry them with Q-tips. When the glass is cut they are sandwiched between a layer of opaque and clear glass. Under intense heat the copper color turns a deep burgundy and sometimes has hints of blue.

Below you can see the frame about to be fired for round one. The top temperature will be about 1425 degrees fahrenheit. It's clear glass capping white. The glass is in the kiln for its 14 hour heat bath as I write this.  Tomorrow I will add a branch to the two sides with small leaves (the green stuff next to the frame) . It'll go back into the kiln for about 16-18 hours tomorrow with those embellishments.  I'll post again when all three have been finished...but without the wedding pictures. The couple deserves their privacy.

Yikes! It's 2024!

 

I haven't written anything in a couple of months...OOOPS!

I've been busy filling commission orders and haven't really had the time to write about my work.

Above are pictures of 2 new gnome commissions that I'm pretty happy with. What do you think?

Here in Portland we have been blanketed in sub-freezing temperatures, snow and ice for almost a week. Today the temperature is above freezing but freezing rain and a temperature drop are predicted to hit in just about an hour. 

While it is the perfect time to focus on cleaning up my studio, inertia has grabbed a hold of me. Maybe later today?

Meanwhile, I am sketching ideas for a future project and helping our artist guild ORA plan some new events. That just seems like more fun than cleaning!